User:Oceanflynn/sandbox/Concentration of media ownership (Canada)

Concentration of media ownership (Canada)  has historical roots in its earliest newspapers. While the government-ownedCanadian Broadcasting Corporation has diverse mix of over-the-air television, cable television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and/or internet operations, by 2020, Bell, Corus, Rogers, Quebecor, Postmedia Network, and Shaw, where private enterprise ownership is concentrated. Other smaller media companies included CTVglobemedia, Astral Media, Canwest Global, CHUM Limited, Standard Broadcasting, Osprey Media, Alliance Atlantis, and City, which are subject to takeovers and/or mergers.

Media ownership in the early years
One of the largest media corporations of the 20th century traces its origins to Joseph E. Atkinson, who, in 1898—then a thirty-four year old journalist—was appointed as editor of the Evening Star, a paper purchased by supporters of then Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier as a vehicle for promoting his premiership. Although, Atkinson said the paper, under its new name—the Toronto Daily Star —"would be independent of any political party", under his direction the paper focused on the "interest and cares" of "ordinary working people". This included championing the mothers' allowances, unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, minimum wage, labour unions, and the "first phases" of Canada's national health plan. In effect, through the Star, Atkinson contributed to the development of "Canada's modern welfare system". The name of the newspaper was changed to the The Star Weekly. Upon his death, on May 8, 1948, through his will, ownership of the Star passed to the Atkinson Charitable Foundation, under the direction of five trustees—J.S. Atkinson, Ruth Atkinson Hindmarsh, W.J. Campbell, Dr. B.M. Thall and Beland Honderich. A new law enacted in Ontario in 1949, the Charitable Gifts Act forced the charity to change its structure. Through the, Act, a limit of was placed on the amount of business interests a charity could hold, before it would lost their charitable status. In 1956, the year the Act came into effect, the five trustees of the Atkinson Foundation purchased the Star for over $CDN25 million. In 1976, the Atkinson, Hindmarsh, Campbell, Thall and Honderich established Toronto Star holding company and incorporated it as Torstar Corporation in 1977. The Toronto Star became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar.

In 1990, 17.3% of daily newspapers were independently owned.

A number of media corporate mergers and takeovers occurred between 1990 and 2005 in Canada.

In March 2003, the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications launched a study of Canadian news media. Recommendations by both the Davey Commission (1970) and the Kent Commission (1981), were not "implemented in any meaningful way."

A 2018 list compiled by News Media Canada (NMC), includes the organizations that owned Canada's ninety daily newspapers: Black Press, Brunswick News Inc., Continental Newspapers Canada Ltd., FP Canadian Newspapers LP, Glacier Media, Glacier Media/Alta Newspaper Group LP., Globe and Mail Inc., Groupe Capitales Médias, Postmedia Network Inc./Sun Media, Power Corp. of Canada, Quebecor, SaltWire Network Inc., Sing Tao Newspapers, TC Media, Torstar Corp., and Independents.